0501-18 NY Times Crossword Answers 1 May 2018, Tuesday

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Constructed by: Jacob Stulberg
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Roadblock

Today’s grid includes four sets of circled letters, each of which is a synonym of ROAD. That ROAD includes a black square, i.e. a ROADBLOCK:

  • 64A. Obstacle … or any one of four black squares in this puzzle? : ROADBLOCK
  • SLAVE — NUEVO LEON (hiding AVENUE)
  • SHANGRI-LA — NETS (hiding LANE)
  • AIMLESS — TREETOP (hiding STREET)
  • PAID — RIVERBANK (hiding DRIVE)

Bill’s time: 7m 31s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6. Sot’s woe, for short : DTS

The episodes of delirium that can accompany withdrawal from alcohol are called delirium tremens (the DTs). The literal translation of this Latin phrase is “trembling madness”.

Our word “sot” comes from the Old English “sott”, meaning “fool”. The word “sot” started to be associated with alcohol and not just foolery in the late 1500s.

9. Welcome sight in a desert : OASIS

An isolated area of vegetation in a desert is called an oasis (plural “oases”). As water is needed for plant growth, an oasis might also include a spring, pond or small lake. We use the term “oasis” more generally to describe a haven, a place of rest.

14. Dole out : ALLOT

The word “dole”, meaning “financial relief”, originated as the Old English word “dal”, the state of sharing, giving out. The phrase “on the dole”, relating to institutional relief, dates back to the twenties.

15. Slip of paper in a poker pot : IOU

I owe you (IOU)

16. Thin pancakes with sour cream : BLINI

A blintz (also “blin”, plural “blini”) is a thin pancake similar to a crêpe although unlike a crêpe, a blintz may contain yeast.

18. Mexican state that touches Texas : NUEVO LEON

Nuevo León is a Mexican state located across the border from the US state of Texas. The capital city of Nuevo León is Monterrey.

20. “___ Last Bow” (1917 Sherlock Holmes story) : HIS

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story titled “His Last Bow” features the author’s most famous character Sherlock Holmes. Published during WWI in 1917, “His Last Bow” might be referred to as a propaganda tool, written with the intent of boosting morale. It is an unusual Sherlock Holmes tale in that it is not a detective story, but rather deals with British and German spies.

21. Caboose, for a train : REAR

The word “caboose” originally came from Middle Dutch and was the word for a ship’s galley. When the last car in a train in North America was given a stove for the comfort of the crew, it took on the name “caboose”. The term has also become slang for a person’s backside.

24. Utopia : SHANGRI-LA

Shangri-La is the earthly paradise in the mountains of Tibet described by James Hilton in his novel “Lost Horizon”. Shangri-La is “edenic” (perfect, like the Garden of Eden from the Book of Genesis). Frank Capra directed a wonderful screen adaptation of “Lost Horizon” in 1937 starring Ronald Colman.

The word “Utopia” was coined by Sir Thomas More for his book “Utopia” published in 1516 describing an idyllic fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. More’s use of the name Utopia comes from the Greek “ou” meaning “not” and “topos” meaning “place”. By calling his perfect island “Not Place”, More was apparently making the point that he didn’t think that the ideal could actually exist.

28. “The Simpsons” girl : LISA

Lisa Simpson is Bart’s brainy younger sister on TV’s “The Simpsons”. Lisa is voiced by actress Yeardley Smith. In a 2008 episode of the show, Lisa enters a crossword tournament. Crossword celebrities Merl Reagle and Will Shortz make appearances in that episode, basically playing cartoon versions of themselves.

31. Busy bees during tax season, for short : CPAS

Certified public accountant (CPA)

33. Figures on a spreadsheet : DATA

Our word “data” (singular “datum”) comes from the Latin “datum” meaning “given”. The idea is that data are “things given”.

35. Macaroni or ravioli : PASTA

In many cases, the name given to a type of pasta comes from its shape. However, the name macaroni comes from the type of dough used to make the noodle. Here in the US, macaroni is usually elbow-shaped tubes, but it doesn’t have to be.

Ravioli (singular “raviolo”) are filled dumplings served in Italian cuisine.

42. “Rock-a-bye Baby” setting : TREETOP

“Rock-a-Bye Baby” is a lullaby, the history of which is much debated. Some say it originated in England, and others claim that it was the first poem that was written on American soil.

Rock-a-bye baby, on the treetop,
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock,
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall,
And down will come baby, cradle and all.

45. Yen : ACHE

The word “yen”, meaning “urge”, has been around in English since the very early 1900s. It comes from the earlier word “yin” imported from Chinese, which was used in English to describe an intense craving for opium.

50. Morrison who wrote “Beloved” : TONI

The writer Toni Morrison won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. Amongst other things, Morrison is noted for coining the phrase “our first black President”, a reference to President Bill Clinton.

“Beloved” is a 1998 movie based on the Pulitzer-winning novel by Toni Morrison. Oprah, who produced the film, stars opposite Danny Glover.

52. Word stamped on an invoice : PAID

An invoice is an itemized bill. The term comes from the Middle French “envois” meaning “dispatch (of goods)”. The root verb is “envoyer”, which translates as “to send”.

61. Kovalchuk of the N.H.L. : ILYA

Ilya Kovalchuk is a Russian-born hockey player who turned out for the Atlanta Thrashers and New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Kovalchuk returned to his homeland in 2013, and signed a contract with SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) that covers Europe and Asia.

62. African game : GNU

The gnu is also known as the wildebeest, and is an antelope native to Africa. “Wildebeest” is a Dutch meaning “wild beast”.

66. Bishop’s headdress : MITER

A miter is a traditional headdress worn by bishops in some Christian traditions. The name “miter” comes from a Greek word for “headband, turban”.

68. Polynesian land east of Fiji : TONGA

The Kingdom of Tonga is made up of 176 islands in the South Pacific, 52 of which are inhabited and scattered over an area of 270,000 square miles. Tonga was given the name Friendly Islands in 1773 when Captain James Cook first landed there, a reference to the warm reception given to the visitors.

69. Greek letter that represents the golden ratio : PHI

The golden ratio, sometimes called the “golden mean” and denoted by the Greek letter phi, is a mathematical constant that often turns up in the world of art. Phi is approximately equal to 1.61, and is represented by the two distances, a and b, where (a+b)/a = a/b. Somehow we perceive the ratio of 1.61 as “pleasing” so it appears in many works of art and in building design. For example, many aspects of the Parthenon in Athens have the ratio of 1.61 (width compared to height). Leonardo da Vinci’s famous drawing of the Vitruvian Man also illustrates the golden ratio in the proportions of the human body, where he shows that the distance from the foot to the navel, compared to the distance from the navel to the head, is 1.61.

Down

1. Corned beef dish : HASH

Hash, meaning a dish of beef and vegetables mashed together, is a very American dish and one that really surprised me when I first came across it. “Hash” just seems like such an unappetizing item, but I soon found out how delicious it was. The name “hash” in this context comes from the French “hacher” meaning “to chop”. Back in the early 1900s the dish called “hashed browned potatoes” was developed, which quickly morphed into “hash browns”. From there the likes of corned beef hash was introduced.

2. Perry of fashion : ELLIS

Perry Ellis was a fashion designer from Portsmouth, Virginia. Ellis was noted for his sportswear creations.

4. “Mazel ___!” : TOV

“Tov” is the Hebrew word for “good”, as in “mazel tov” meaning “good luck”.

6. Currency of Tunisia : DINAR

The dinar is the official currency in many countries, such as Iraq, Tunisia and Serbia. The gold dinar dates back to the early days of Islam, with the name deriving from the Roman currency called “denarius” meaning “ten times” (as it was originally a coin worth ten asses).

7. Reader of a Fodor’s guide : TOURIST

Fodor’s is the world’s largest publisher of English-language travel and tourist guides. The guidebooks were introduced in 1936 by Eugene Fodor, an American-Hungarian who was a keen traveller.

9. One of two to four in a standard orchestra : OBOE

We’ve all probably heard the phrase “‘tis an ill wind that blows nobody any good”. The poet Ogden Nash made a “punny” statement about the oboe, calling the instrument “an ill wind nobody blows good”. I must say though, I disagree …

10. Poe’s middle name : ALLAN

The celebrated American writer Edgar Allan Poe was born “Edgar Poe” in 1809 in Boston. Poe’s father abandoned Edgar and his two siblings after the death of their mother. As a result, Edgar was taken into the home of the Allan family in Richmond Virginia. His foster parents gave the future author the name “Edgar Allan Poe”.

11. Long, drawn-out fight : SIEGE

Our word “siege” comes from a 13th century word for a “seat”. The military usage derives from the concept of a besieging force “sitting down” outside a fortress until it falls.

13. Certain math ratios : SINES

The most familiar trigonometric functions are sine, cosine and tangent (abbreviated to “sin, cos and tan”). Each of these is a ratio, a ratio of two sides of a right-angled triangle. The “reciprocal” of these three functions are secant, cosecant and cotangent. The reciprocal functions are simply the inverted ratios, the inverted sine, cosine and tangent. These inverted ratios should not be confused with the “inverse” trigonometric functions e.g. arcsine, arccosine and arctangent. These inverse functions are the reverse of the sine, cosine and tangent.

19. Infamous impaler : VLAD

Vlad III was a 15th century ruler in modern-day Romania. He was given the name “Vlad the Impaler” after he died, and this suggests that he was in the habit of impaling his enemies. His father, Vlad II, was known as Vlad Dracul, which translates as Vlad the Devil or Dragon. As a result, Vlad the Impaler was also known by the diminutive form of his father’s name, i.e. “Dracula”. Bram Stoker borrowed this name for his famous 1897 novel titled “Dracula”.

32. ___ chart : PIE

A pie chart can also be referred to as a circle graph. It is often stated that Florence Nightingale invented the pie chart. While this is not in fact true, she is due credit for popularizing it, and for developing the pie chart variation known as the polar area diagram. The earliest known pie chart appears in a book published in 1801 by Scottish engineer William Playfair.

36. Corporation named after a mountain : AETNA

When the healthcare management and insurance company known as Aetna was founded, the name was chosen to evoke images of Mount Etna, the Italian volcano.

37. Bit of wear for Colonel Sanders : STRING TIE

I’ve never worn a bolo tie, and was surprised to discover that it is a relatively recent invention. The first bolo tie was apparently produced in Wickenburg, Arizona in the late 1940s by a silversmith. The bolo takes its name from the boleadora, an Argentine lariat.

“Colonel” Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) fame has been portrayed in ads on television by several celebrities. The list includes Norm Macdonald, Jim Gaffigan, George Hamilton, Billy Zane, Rob Lowe, Ray Liotta and even Reba McEntire.

41. Harlem sights : ELS

Elevated railroad (El)

The Manhattan district of Harlem is sometimes divided into Central Harlem, West Harlem and East Harlem. East Harlem is also known as “Spanish Harlem”.

46. Latin American seafood dish : CEVICHE

Ceviche is a raw seafood dish that is popular in South and Central America. Ceviche is typically made from fish marinated in lemon or lime juice and spiced with hot peppers.

49. Pitcher Hershiser : OREL

Orel Hershiser is big into poker, now that he has retired from Major League Baseball. Hershiser lives in Las Vegas and when he isn’t working for ESPN, apparently he is at the poker tables, playing professionally. When Hershiser is eliminated in a poker tournament, he is in the habit of presenting the person who ousts him with an autographed baseball.

51. White House family with the dog Bo : OBAMAS

Sunny and Bo are Portuguese water dogs owned by the Obama family. The former First Family chose the Portuguese water dog largely because it is a hypoallergenic breed, and Malia Obama suffers from an allergy to most dogs.

52. Strong wines : PORTS

Portugal’s city of Oporto (“Porto” in Portuguese) gave its name to port wine in the late 1600s. Oporto was the seaport through which most of the region’s fortified red wine was exported.

54. Vapid : INANE

We use the adjective “vapid” today to describe something that is dull, that lacks liveliness. Back in the 1600s, the term was used to describe drinks that were flat. “Vapid” comes from the Latin “vapidus”, which translates literally as “that has exhaled its vapor”.

55. Word before City or after Fort on Midwest maps : DODGE

Fort Dodge was in Kansas, on the Santa Fe Trail (connecting Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico). The fort was named after Major General Grenville M. Dodge who was in charge of the army presence in the area. Fort Dodge gave its name to Dodge City, which grew up nearby the fort.

57. Stanley who wrote “The Magic Kingdom” : ELKIN

Stanley Elkin was a novelist from Brooklyn, New York who grew up in Chicago. Elkin lived most of his life in St. Louis, where he was a member of the faculty at Washington University. He published ten novels, mostly dealing with pop culture of the fifties and sixties.

60. Skier’s convenience : T-BAR

A T-bar is a ski lift on which the skiers are pulled up the hill in pairs, with each pair standing (not sitting!) either side of a T-shaped metal bar. The bar is placed behind the thighs, pulling along the skiers as they remain standing on their skis (hopefully!). There’s also a J-bar, a similar device, but with each J-shaped bar used by one skier at a time.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Tests the weight of by lifting : HEFTS
6. Sot’s woe, for short : DTS
9. Welcome sight in a desert : OASIS
14. Dole out : ALLOT
15. Slip of paper in a poker pot : IOU
16. Thin pancakes with sour cream : BLINI
17. Work like a dog : SLAVE
18. Mexican state that touches Texas : NUEVO LEON
20. “___ Last Bow” (1917 Sherlock Holmes story) : HIS
21. Caboose, for a train : REAR
23. Alliance : LEAGUE
24. Utopia : SHANGRI-LA
27. Aids for butterfly collectors : NETS
28. “The Simpsons” girl : LISA
29. Cream ___ : SODA
31. Busy bees during tax season, for short : CPAS
33. Figures on a spreadsheet : DATA
35. Macaroni or ravioli : PASTA
40. Meandering : AIMLESS
42. “Rock-a-bye Baby” setting : TREETOP
44. Push away : REPEL
45. Yen : ACHE
47. Gait faster than a walk : TROT
48. More than none but less than all : SOME
50. Morrison who wrote “Beloved” : TONI
52. Word stamped on an invoice : PAID
56. Good place to fish from : RIVERBANK
59. Salient : OF NOTE
61. Kovalchuk of the N.H.L. : ILYA
62. African game : GNU
64. Obstacle … or any one of four black squares in this puzzle? : ROADBLOCK
66. Bishop’s headdress : MITER
68. Polynesian land east of Fiji : TONGA
69. Greek letter that represents the golden ratio : PHI
70. Figure in many a sci-fi film : ALIEN
71. Part of a cattle roundup : STEER
72. Perfect diving score : TEN
73. Winter Olympics equipment : SLEDS

Down

1. Corned beef dish : HASH
2. Perry of fashion : ELLIS
3. Early means of providing light for a photograph : FLASH LAMP
4. “Mazel ___!” : TOV
5. Backs of ships : STERNS
6. Currency of Tunisia : DINAR
7. Reader of a Fodor’s guide : TOURIST
8. “So ___ me!” : SUE
9. One of two to four in a standard orchestra : OBOE
10. Poe’s middle name : ALLAN
11. Long, drawn-out fight : SIEGE
12. Two-way, as doors : IN/OUT
13. Certain math ratios : SINES
19. Infamous impaler : VLAD
22. “Good gravy!” : EGADS!
25. Bride’s path : AISLE
26. Unwilling : LOATH
30. Play “monkey see, monkey do”? : APE
31. Airport rental : CAR
32. ___ chart : PIE
34. “Same here” : AS AM I
36. Corporation named after a mountain : AETNA
37. Bit of wear for Colonel Sanders : STRING TIE
38. As well : TOO
39. Prone (to) : APT
41. Harlem sights : ELS
43. Take another crack at : RETRY
46. Latin American seafood dish : CEVICHE
49. Pitcher Hershiser : OREL
51. White House family with the dog Bo : OBAMAS
52. Strong wines : PORTS
53. Going on : AFOOT
54. Vapid : INANE
55. Word before City or after Fort on Midwest maps : DODGE
57. Stanley who wrote “The Magic Kingdom” : ELKIN
58. Hit below the belt : KNEED
60. Skier’s convenience : T-BAR
63. Large coffee holders : URNS
65. Go (for) : OPT
67. Under the weather : ILL

11 thoughts on “0501-18 NY Times Crossword Answers 1 May 2018, Tuesday”

  1. 10:42 I thought there were a few things harder than normal for Tuesday in this one. I also struggled a bit with the bottom left. The first thing I put in was lift for 60D which made it tough to figure out what was going on until I changed it.

  2. 7:53 after fixing another of those typos that annoy me so in online solves. (And yes, I realize the problem is fixable by simply going back to paper … mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.) In any case, an enjoyable Tuesday outing …

    1. Fixing filled-in typos should be EASIER with an online solve, shouldn’t it? Basic word processing. It’s tougher when you work a paper puzzle in ink, then boldly fill in, as one example, FLASHBULB for 3D, and realize later it’s FLASHLAMP; I had more than my share of overwrites with this puzzle. They were everywhere!! 10:20, and escaped without error

  3. 9:21. This came together pretty quickly for me. ILYA Kovalchuk has actually been playing over in the KHL (the Kontinental Hockey League, primarily in Russia) for the last several years. He’s really “Kovalchuk, formerly of the N.H.L”…)

    Best –

  4. Got tired of waiting for my brain, and Googled 3 (on a Tuesday!) -TONGA, ELKIN, and CEVICHE.

  5. No errors. As frequently happens, I had only a partial understanding of the theme. I, of course, got the connection to “road” but I thought that the “block” part of it only referred to a “block” set of letters appearing as a unit. I did not fathom that a black square interrupts each theme entry. Thank goodness Bill is here to point these things out.

  6. 10:29, no errors. Not a seafood fan nor have I ever heard of this dish, so CEVICHE was filled completely by faith. Compounded by my inability to recall if the golden ratio was designated PSI or PHI. CEVICSE just didn’t look right. The penchant for raw fish dishes in tropical areas (poke in Hawaii; poisson cru in Tahiti) makes me think of Tom Hanks in the movie Cast Away. 😀

  7. Enjoyed this one, including some challenging slowdowns in the SSW (aka lower left and middle), mainly ELKIN, ILYA, CEVICHE and get before OPT.

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